Fresh, briny flavors of southern Italy come together in bucatini con le sarde, a traditional dish from Sicilia. Caramelized fennel, tomatoes, pine nuts, currants and saffron make a sweet-savory sauce for the sardines.
Ingredients for 4 people
- 1 pound bucatini
- 2 pounds fennel bulbs, greens removed and reserved, bulb cut into sticks
- 3 pounds whole fresh sardines
- Semolina flour, for coating
- 1 cup extra virgin olive oil
- 2 medium onions, minced
- 1 (28-ounce) can whole tomatoes, drained and chopped
- 3 tablespoons pine nuts, lightly toasted
- 3 tablespoons dried currants or raisins, soaked and drained
- 7 saffron strands or ½ teaspoon powdered saffron
How to make Bucatini con le Sarde
- In a hot skillet, add the extra virgin olive oil and sauté the fennel until it is caramelized.
- Remove the heads of the sardines and pull out the backbones and entrails. Select a few sardines for garnish, chop the rest for the sauce and set them aside. Season the sardines for garnish with salt and pepper to taste and coat them with the semolina flour.
- In a small saucepan, heat ½ cup of extra virgin olive oil over medium heat. When the oil begins to smoke, cook each flour-coated sardine until light golden brown, about 1 minute on each side. Using a slotted spoon, remove the sardines from the pan and drain them on a paper towel.
- In the skillet with the caramelized fennel, add the onions, currants, tomatoes, pine nuts and saffron. Season with salt and pepper. Bring the sauce briefly to a boil, then lower to a simmer. Add the reserved chopped sardines and cook, stirring occasionally with a wooden spoon, until the sardines break into pieces and blend into the sauce, about 10–15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, bring 6 quarts of water and 2 tablespoons of salt to a rolling boil. Add the bucatini and cook until tender but still al dente. If the sauce looks too thick, add a bit of pasta cooking water. Drain the pasta into a large serving bowl, add ¾ of the sauce and stir to coat. Top with the remaining sauce and the fried sardines.
- Keep the pasta covered and let it sit for several minutes to soak up the flavors of the sauce. Garnish with the reserved fennel fronds and serve.
Tips
Let it rest
This pasta tastes best if it sits for several minutes, soaking up the flavors of the sauce, before serving. Keep it covered during this time.
